Day 8 - It's Time to Leave Junction & Start our Trip Home

Many months of planning and anticipation is drawing to a close. Our time in Junction with Grandma and Grandpa was way to short but it is time to start our trip to get home. With heavy hearts, we packed up the car. Grandma was still sick and in order to protect us from catching her illness, she sent her good-byes to the boys via Grandpa Dooker. We took this one last picture of the boys on Grandma's couch. It is getting harder to get group pictures of the boys. Jared's hair looked nice but he was trying to crawl away many times and we his hair ended up with the messy look. However.... THREE SMILES!! This is rare for our group photos. This must be reflective of how much fun they had with everyone.

With the boys all loaded up, he hit the road for our first leg home. The boys took their morning nap in the truck while riding. We drove for a few hours and then decided to stop for lunch at Mc Donald's. I had noticed on our trip out that very few places have a diaper changing station. We don't get out much with the boys and when we do, I plan the outings to be short enough that changes happen before we leave the house and after we get home. As such, I had not realized the lack of sufficient diaper changing stations.

We chose the Mc Donald's as a place to stop because they had a play place (boys pictured below) and we were certain that they would have a place to change diapers. It was cool outside and changing the boys in the front seat of the truck is getting harder because the boys are outgrowing the seat. Also, the dance of moving them from the car seat to the front seat is a logistical challenge. So, we ate our lunch and the boys had their first taste of chicken nuggets with a small piece from Daddy. With more french fries in their bellies, we were ready to change diapers. I headed to the bathroom only to find NO PLACE to change their diapers. With frustration, I was at a loss on what to do. So, I became the tackiest mother on earth and I changed them on the table in the play place!!! Yep, that was ME!!

Don't worry, I put a changing pad down between the boys and the table, we were the only ones in this area and it was separated from the remainder of the restaurant. It's not like I changed their diapers next to some family trying to enjoy their lunch. I took the bag with the dirty diapers to the bathroom to discard them and the trash can was a small trash can you see in someone's personal bathroom. I made them fit but COME ON... you have a play place right off of interstate, don't you know people will stop with children??? Oh well, enough about that. Back to the trip.

The boys were good little travelers on this leg of the trip. They got a little restless as we approached Houton. We did not have any toys to give them but we started giving them various items from the front seat that kept their attention and amused them very much. Wesley is always positioned in the middle because he is the smallest and it is easier to get him to the middle seat. Andrew is always behind the driver because this seat has a mirror and as he spits up the most, he gets the mirror and this leaves Jared behind the passenger.

While they were playing, I noticed that Wesley kept needing more and more items. What was happening, I had just given him something. Then, I watched and saw what was happening. Here is a little video....

Poor little guy! He would get frustrated but then just look to me to give him something else. I can see that my role will turn into that of a referee between these boys.

With three legs of the trip left to get home - Junction to Houston, Houston to Houma and Houma to Tallahassee, at the end of this day we were back in Houston and 2/3 of the way home.

Thanks,